CARMEL, NY – In a continued effort to increase accountability and accessibility to Putnam County government, County Executive Kevin Byrne is inviting residents to participate in the County’s first-ever budget town hall forum, which will be held on Wednesday, October 9th, at 5:30 p.m. at Carmel Town Hall, located at 60 McAlpin Avenue, Mahopac. This innovative event is part of Byrne’s ongoing commitment to increasing government transparency, accessibility, and accountability for Putnam County residents.

"Transparency in government is critical, and I’m committed to making our county's budget process as open and accessible as possible. This town hall is a chance for everyone to have their voice heard, ask questions, and better understand where their tax dollars are going," said Byrne. "It's another step in fulfilling my commitment to provide greater accountability to the people of Putnam."

The town hall provides an opportunity for the public to ask questions about Byrne’s upcoming Executive Budget proposal, which will be formally presented on Thursday, October 3rd, at 7 p.m. in the Historic Putnam County Courthouse. Residents can attend the presentation in person or watch a livestream of the speech at putnamcountyny.gov/25budget. For those interested in attending the budget presentation, RSVPs can be submitted through the same website.

Residents from all parts of the county are encouraged to attend and ask questions about the budget or any other matters they wish to discuss. This forum will serve as a direct line of communication between the County Executive’s office and Putnam County residents. All are welcome to attend.

This budget town hall follows the County’s first-ever Virtual Town Hall Forum, where Byrne previewed parts of his budget while answering questions from residents via social media comments, email, phone, and direct messages. He addressed a variety of topics, including continuing last year’s tax cuts, the migrant crisis, public transit, and proposed changes to election laws. The Virtual Town Hall Forum was streamed live on the County Government’s Youtube and Facebook pages. The full event can be re-watched there.

"I believe in using every platform available to connect with our residents. Whether through in-person or virtual forums, we want to make it easy for residents to engage with their government," Byrne added.

For more information or to RSVP for the upcoming budget presentation, visit putnamcountyny.gov/25budget.